12.2: Answers

12.2

Stellina

Four hundred. 

Four hundred? And three?

That can not be right. That is far too long. Four hundred is half a lifetime. Xada was younger than four hundred, or he had just about hit it. My parents were in their five hundreds. Elves are considered fully fledged adults at three hundred fifty and elders by six hundred. How could I have been trapped in time for half a lifetime?

But then, what else would explain all the differences? Nature taking back Lumnia, a full human civilisation not even a day’s walk away, the lack of fae and their replacement with this solid, humanoid figure with wings. They are all things that could not happen in a heartbeat nor a blink of an eye. Even still, four hundred seems excessive. Why now? A thought storms into the front of my mind, leaving icy fragments in the wake of its footsteps: how much has the monster grown in that time?

I push aside the implications of my four hundred year gap to dwell on later, though I cannot shrug off the frost that was left over the encasing of my stomach at my final thought. One year or centuries of them do not make a difference for the souls of my people in the stars. They would be gone regardless. However, our attackers may still be here. After all these years, they may still haunt this domain. Centuries would make a difference for them. They need to be stopped. Immediately.

I snap back to focus on the people in front of me. Their faces bear downturned eyebrows and frowns as they look at me. I take a deep breath,

“Do you know of things who use shadows to do their bidding?” As soon as the words slip from my lips, Iridea’s face drops and her eyes flick around the building, as if looking for the things I speak of. Instinctively, her wings fold deeper into her, and her hands come together to grasp tightly at each other. Evelena shows only a twitch in her mouth as she clears her throat,

“I am not personally acquainted with him, but yes, I may know of the person you speak of.” The leader of the attack. He was still alive. Ul prolu e’l’estella.

“Where is he?” The tone of my voice almost surprises me and would, if a harsh drumming were not throbbing in my throat and if my chest were not tensing with bottled energy. My fists clench tightly to keep the energy within me. Evelena lifts her eyebrow, drawing her attention away from the tea and food in front of her. I can tell that when she looks at me, she sees something dangerous in my eyes.

“Why must you know?” The energy begins to shake, rattling my nerves. These people, kind as they are, would hinder me in my quest for ‘my own good’. I have heard it countless times before from my mother, from my father, from Xada. They do not believe that I can take this man alone. I am not sure even I do, but I must do something. I sink into the back of the seat, releasing the energy in an exhale. I suddenly feel exhausted.

“Stellina, I believe you to be who you present yourself as but in order for me to entrust you with information, I need information in return. I promise not to pry. Can you do that?” Evelena carefully asks. She wants the truth. Fine. See if she can stop me. Unfortunately, I still need her to fill the gaps in my knowledge. So I nod, “Thank you. I’ll start with an easy question: Are you a star elf?”

“Yes.” If that was not already obvious, “I am.”

“If you truly are - and I believe you to be so - you should know this; what does the sigil upon your forehead do?” Iridea leans in, her eyes fixated on the tattoo at the centre of my forehead. This is such an easy question that I almost allow my mouth to curve into a smirk. I have had this marking since the second week of my existence when it was ritualistically carved into my forehead. Of course, I have no memory of this but I have been present at a few of the ceremonies so I can guess how mine went. However, my mother did not explain one piece of it to me: the circle surrounding the inner-most diamond. This she also wore, although I saw no one else with it in Lumnia. Not even my father. I hope Evelena will believe me even without this piece of information.

I bring myself up taller. This mark makes me a pure star elf; uncorrupted, powerful, and knowledgeable. I shake my hair out of my face as best I can so the mark is clear to see.

“My sigil carries one middle diamond with a smaller diamond within, a ring surrounding these.” Though I know I speak with many pauses to translate one word from my language to theirs, Iridea and Evelena listen attentively and seem to understand what I am trying to communicate. So, I continue confidently, “Beneath this is one smaller diamond at left. Smaller diamond in centre shows highest rank in society. I am child of King and Queen of Lumnia. My mother was to tell me meaning of ring surrounding on my die e’l’obailus, which means twenty circles of our star. She did not get a chance so I do not know meaning of piece.

“Diamond at left is again shows high rank or high regard in my society. It is give to elves that did something highly…uhh, isignus or stand at position respect. I am royalty, so this was gived to me with small diamond in middle. 

“Finally, middle diam-” 

“What about the even smaller diamond outside of the large ones?” Iridea butts in, her eyes still fixed on the item of our conversation. 

Wait.

There are only two reasons elves acquire smaller diamonds encircling their central diamond. Xada lived and breathed both of these reasons: he was my parents’ royal advisor and he was Lumnia’s seer. If I have two stars outside of the central diamond, that would mean…

“I apologise, do you say that there is two stars outside my middle diamond?” I ask politely although I can feel my heart beating against my chest. Iridea nods. As does Evelena. 

Polukus.

The necklace he gave me lies heavy and cold against my chest. I pull it out from the cover of my dress and stare at the mark of the seers against its fantastic mastery. 

Why would he do that? Why would he make me a seer?

I know nothing about the seers let alone being one. I know nothing about seers or their roles in society because I was never supposed to be one. 

Why would he do that?

I tuck it back into my dress, the silver glinting tauntingly back at me as it disappears. My lip is curled into a snarl which I attempt to fix back into a straight line. My eyes burn with the promise of tears. I push this burn into my throat where it is less likely to let them free.

“Is everything alright?” Evelena asks quietly. She reaches her hand towards me on the table and lays it in the space in front of me. 

Why has she not just told me what I need to know already?

“Yes, do you have more questions?” My mother would scold me for my tone of voice. Lucky for me, she is not here. 

“You were just about to explain the central diamond in your sigil before you were interrupted by Iridea.” Iridea barely acknowledges this bite at her. A side glance at Evelena is the extent of her apology. I clear my throat,

“Yes, dee cen-tral diamond. This is gived to all star elves. It helps with storing energy of stars in our bodies with no risk of outbursts or mistakes in our practices. It has ability to…propulsaris?  No evil? And no disease for us; that is why no star elf has been made bad or dead from human things.” I finish this preach with a firm nod of my head, pride swelling in my chest. Expectantly, I look upon Evelena and wait for her answers. 

“Very well, Stellina,” She begins, nodding with her eyes cast down at the table thoughtfully, “I will give you the information you seek if you promise me one thing.”

“Anything.” I pledge before she finishes her sentence, the excitement coursing through me like a tumbling wave lifts me slightly from my seat. 

“You must promise to stay here,” She must see the look on my face as she adds, “Just for one night, to reflect on what I am about to tell you. I do not want you to make any rash decisions that lead you to your death. Can you give me this?”

Though I am insulted by her presumption, I suppose her justification is reasonable. So, I nod. Without her, I will not get anywhere. 

“I promise,” I say. Evelena bows her head in gratitude before clasping her hands together formally. At long last, business begins.

“Thank you, Stellina. Now, I give you the name of the man you seek.” My throat clenches. Excitement and fear wage war for dominance, “The man that killed your kind, the Star Elves, is called Hyxver.”

“And what of others?” I ask hurriedly, desperate to know just who I will be facing. Evelena raises an eyebrow,

“There were no others.” 

“Just one?”

“Just one. Just Hyxver.” Evelena affirms, adding, “Presumably.”

Just one person. How hard could it be? Just one person that annihilated an entire species of elf. Just one person. It just could not be.

“Tell me everything.”